Best in Blog: 19 June 2009

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Happy Friday to Kevin’s cats and the MoJo frog. Three quick MoJo must reads before you glue yourself to today’s Iran coverage:

1) Sotomayor With A Starr

Conservative legal stalwart Kenneth Starr has endorsed Obama’s Supreme Court pick. David Corn broke the news, writing: “He noted that he has not written any official endorsement letter for Sotomayor but that no one had asked him to do so—suggesting he would if requested.” How will Rush, Newt, and other 4-letter-word Republicans take it? Read more.

2) John Ensign’s Interns Pack It In

Now that anti-gay marriage Sen. John Ensign has admitted to his own opposite-marriage problem with The Ladies, will we get an Ensign resign? Note to Ensign interns: MoJo‘s hiring! Join our scandal-free DC bureau and investigate your ex-boss and his ilk for a living. Read more.

3) Did Lead-Laced Sludge Taint Michelle Obama’s Garden?

It’s not easy being green. After the National Park Service disclosed that the White House plot was a wee bit toxic, lead-based paint was fingered as the culprit. But what if the real plot problem is the Clinton-era “very clean poo” once used to fertilize the White House South Lawn? Read more.

Plus, keep an ear out later today for David and Kevin’s week-in-review podcast.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

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The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again today—any amount.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

December is make or break for us. A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. A strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength. A weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again today—any amount.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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